Cognitive Psychology

Description

It examines psychological processes such as attention, memory, word recognition, reasoning and problem solving. Laboratory exercises are used to demonstrate these basic psychological processes.

This course forms part of an Australian Psychology Accreditation Council's accredited sequence.

Availability

Ourimbah

Semester 1 - 2015

Callaghan

Semester 1 - 2015

Learning Outcomes

1. Developed an understanding and appreciation of experimental psychology

2. Developed an understanding and appreciation of how experimental psychology forms the foundation of all applied aspects of psychology

3. Developed skills in the scientific methodology of psychology

4. Developed skills in applying theoretical aspects of psychology to clinical and professional settings.

Content

This course provides a strong theoretical foundation for those students intending to enter any field of Professional Psychology but especially the area of Clinical Psychology and Clinical Neuropsychology.

There are many aspects to attention including selective attention, divided attention, arousal, vigilance, supervisory control. This course will introduce students to the main aspects of attention and their theoretical explanations. Applied aspects of attention, in particular clinical applications, will also be examined with particular reference to unilateral neglect, attentional problems in head injured patients and in schizophrenia. The current theoretical explanations of attention will be assessed in the light of such deficits and disorders, in particular what contribution experimental psychology makes to the understanding and treatment of these problems. Other topics which may be covered are developmental aspects of attention, attentional influences on perception, cognitive neuroscience of perception and attention, the relationship of attention to consciousness, monitoring and control of cognitive processes.

MEMORY:

This course will explore different models and conceptualizations of memory.

It will examine experimental evidence supporting these models of human memory. These models will be examined in the light of neuropsychological data such as amnesia and other memory problems. The forensic implications of memory will also be addressed.

COGNITIVE PROCESSES:

We look at how higher cognitive processes such as language, reasoning and problem solving are studied.